Milwaukee Hounds
Teams of the NLF Milwaukee Hounds The Milwaukee Hounds are another case of expansion by the BFL. Following the booming success of the 2018 season, Jim Tading decided to add one team to each of the four divisions that made up the BFL. Milwaukee, Wisconsin was not an original target. In fact, their city receiving the poll was actually another case similar to Seattle, another headscratcher. When Tading sent the poll to the northeastern U.S., it was intended to go to Detroit, Michigan, and Chicago, Illinois amidst rumors that Detroit was considering a relocation, and Chicago's large size meant placing a second team in the Windy City wasn't as bad an idea as originally thought. When the rumors were disproven, and the Board of Directors got cold feet about Chicago, Tading originally recalled the poll from that part of the U.S. The following day, he got a recommendation from two of the six members of the Board of Directors to re-distribute the poll, in the state of Wisconsin. With no reason not to, Tading sent the poll to Wisconsin later that day, to the cities of Green Bay and Milwaukee. The results returned three weeks later. The city of Green Bay gave a 38% approval rating, because of the Packers of course. But the city of Milwaukee gave a 90%. Tading immediately announced the city's representation. The next day, Milwaukee mayor Tom Barrett announced the city would begin converting Brewers Field, the city's MLB team, into a multi-sports complex large enough to sport a football, and baseball field, which was done just in time for the 2019 season. Milwaukee finished their inaugural season at 6-8-1. Outside of miraculously signing former Dolphins and Giants RB Denzel Mourning and hiring Tomas Pita as head coach in 2020, the Hounds have not been met with much success, as both seasons the team did just enough not to get demoted, finishing at 6-9 and 7-8 respectively. Pita spent the 2021 offseason trying to find ways to help Mourning advance the Hounds to glory. The end result was a much stronger offensive and defensive line. Milwaukee is still in rebuild mode despite the presence of Mourning and Pita. And unless something drastically improves in the next few seasons, that's not likely to change anytime soon. '*C*: Denzel Mourning, RB' Age: '''32 '''Yrs in The NLF: '''4 '''Awards: 2x NFL Pro Bowler (2012 & 2013), Super Bowl LII Champion (2017), 2x BFL All-Star (2019 & 2021), Division II MVP (2020) '''Bio: '''When discussing the best power backs in recent history, Denzel Mourning's name is likely to come up more than once. Despite his 5'10, 220 pound frame (his career average), Mourning has been the epitome of power for the last decade. Going undrafted, Mourning signed on as a practice squad player for the Miami Dolphins in 2009. But by 2011, Mourning was listed second on the team's depth chart. That year, a key injury to Ronnie Brown opened the door for Mourning to play around mid-season. Mourning finished that year with over 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns in just nine games played. He left Miami after the season, and signed a multi-year deal with the New York Giants. And through the first two years of his contract, it looked as if New York had struck gold. But after suffering a nasty leg injury in his second game of 2014, Denzel was never the same player he was before. He returned for the last game of the season in an attempt to aid New York in securing a playoff berth, to no avail. For the remainder of his tenure in New York, he remained a key part of their offense, but was never the main focus. And despite the Giants winning their fourth Super Bowl in 2017, it wasn't enough for Denzel to remain there. Following the 2018 season, he opted not to re-sign with New York. Entering free agency, it was highly speculated he'd planned on returning to Miami to retire a Dolphin, but three days into free agency and Mourning dropped a bombshell. He announced he was signing with the Milwaukee Hounds of the BFL, to the surprise of fans, analysts and former teammates alike. When asked about his decision, he simply stated "he was ready for something new". In the three years since his arrival, Denzel has thrived as the feature back for an otherwise average Milwaukee team. Even into his 30s, Denzel has shown that age really is just a number as far as his production, seemingly getting better the older he gets. While not necessarily the fastest RB in the league, his speed defies his age. Add that to his almost limitless body control and strength, and you have the makings of a phenomenal RB. He is the sole leader of an otherwise below average Hounds team, due to his intense work ethic and various screw-ups by Milwaukee's front office. Without much improvement to speak of outside the offensive and defensive lines, how much longer can Denzel carry the Hounds? And how long will Milwaukee force him to? '''Strengths: '''Unbelievable ball control and body control make him lethal on the sideline. Inhuman power and strength for his size makes defenders cautious of trying to tackle him upfront. Trucking is superb. Also serves as an above average blocker known for putting the occasional defender on their back. Insane work ethic and leadership skills have earned him much respect around the league. Excels at finding lanes within the line. Fights for every possible yard he can get. '''Weaknesses: '''Despite his tireless training, he has yet to regain even a bit of that closing speed he displayed early in his tenure with Knights. Not a good receiver, known for dropping wide open passes. Not good at finding running lanes to the outside of the offensive line.